Bedford resident gets a taste of perfection

After three innings, Billerica Legion pitcher and Bedford resident Walker O’Connor set down all nine batters he faced in order.

Following the third inning, the Andover coach argued that a black sleeve that O’Connor was wearing was distracting his hitters. The umpires made O’Connor take the sleeve off.

From that point on, O’Connor pitched with an edge, throwing a perfect game in a 4-0 victory.

“Once they made me take the sleeve off, I felt like I got more fired up and wanted to blow it by the hitters even more,” O’Connor said. “Everything was on. My fastball had some pop and my off-speed pitches were on.”

O’Connor finished the complete-game effort with 13 strikeouts. The victory for the University of West Florida-bound pitcher capped off a remarkable season that saw O’Connor go 8-0 with an astonishing 88 strikeouts to just six walks.

O’Connor was just one of the reasons why the Billerica Legion team captured the state championship this summer.

“It was my first playoff game on this team, so I was definitely nervous,” O’Connor said about his perfect game. “I had some jitters, but I have always trusted myself and my stuff.”

When O’Connor was just 12, the right-hander threw a no hitter in a little league game as he struck out all 18 batters he faced in that contest.

“It was pretty cool that every out was a strikeout,” O’Connor said.

After playing for four years at Malden Catholic, O’Connor went on to play one year at Bridgeton Academy. In the fall, O’Connor will join the University of West Florida team that competes at the Division 2 level.

“I have been working out at Athletic Evolution in Woburn this summer to get ready for the college level,” O’Connor said. “Any baseball player will tell you that just playing will help you become a better ballplayer.”

So, what type of player and person is the University of West Florida getting?

“I don’t think he knows what he is going to get,” O’Connor said. “He is going to be very surprised. He is going to get a hard work that never settles for anything less.”

O’Connor says that his parents Barbara and Jim along with former coaches Peter Morello, Stephen Gridsley, Pete Feel, Brian Muenver, Jeff Parquette and Andy and Rich Gearin have all been instrumental in his success.